The Gulf Coast // Florida + Mississippi + Texas

via Flickr

Hi guys!  Today is a super exciting day for me, because I'm taking part in my very first collaboration post...and with two amazing photographers!  A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I'd be vacationing for a week on the Texas coast.  Kelly of Swimming in Sunshine got in touch with me and invited me to take part in a Gulf Coast collaboration post that she and Jen of Pierced Wonderings were already doing.  It was perfect timing and I'm so excited to take part in it.  I've never visited Florida or Mississippi before, but these photos are inspiring me to want to plan to Gulf Coast road trip in the future.  That would be so much fun!  Until then, I hope you enjoy our photos!  Don't forget to check out the variety of photos we've all shared on Kelly's and Jen's posts as well!



The Florida Coast // Kelly
I've been following Kelly's blog for quite some time now, and it's become one of my absolute favorites.  She always has such a great variety of nature and wildlife photos, and her blog posts seriously make me want to pack up all of my stuff and move to Florida.  For a reptile lover such as myself, that state would be a paradise to go herping in!  Kelly's Florida Gulf Coast photos were taken at Fort Island.  I am so in love with the colors in her first photo, and the Little Blue Heron in the second photo is so sweet!  My favorite is, of course, the snake photo!  I'm not sure, but I think it's either a Pine Snake or a Gray Rat Snake.  Either way, it's gorgeous!!  Check out Kelly's Gulf Coast post HERE!

The Mississippi Coast // Jen
I only just recently started following Jen's blog, but it's quickly becoming one of my favorites as well.  I don't know how she edits her floral photography, but the colors are just so beautiful and charming!  Jen's Gulf Coast photos were taken at the Gulf Islands National Seashore.  I'm so serious about that road trip idea!  I could totally see myself getting into a pair of waders and seeking out reptiles to photograph.  This place looks like it would be FULL of them!  I'm told there are definitely gators there, so that would be awesome to see!  My favorite thing about Jen's first two photos are the reflections in the water.  I am a huge fan of reflection in photography, and these are just so gorgeous.  Her third photo reminds me a lot of home.  Before I moved to Fort Worth, I lived in a tiny central Texas town, and this type of environment is basically what my backyard looked like.  I love it!  Check out Jen's Gulf Coast post HERE!

The Texas Coast // Mindi
My trip to the coast here in Texas was a TON of fun, and I had such a great time taking photos for this collaboration.  The photos that I'm featuring here today were all taken at San Jose Island near Port Aransas!  San Jose Island is 21 miles of undisturbed shoreline full of pretty shells and sea life.  We saw so many sea turtles and sharks that day.  It was awesome :)  On the downside, I got the worst sunburn of my life while we were there, and I'm so happy I took these photos before I lost all of the energy I had left :)  Seriously, it was rough.

Thank you Kelly and Jen for inviting me to take part in this collaboration!  I love getting to share your photos with my readers, and I love seeing all of our photos together!

Check out Jen's post on Pierced Wonderings!

Check out Kelly's post on Swimming in Sunshine!